Jake was clearly smitten with Ramin. That was one thing he and hisson had in common. And thank goodness. Jake might’ve been butting heads with Noah, but at least he got along with Ramin.
Now, if only Angela could be so easily swayed.
Noah straightened up, adjusted himself, and knocked on Angela’s door.
“You didn’t have to make him leave,” she said.
“He needed to get home.” Noah looked around. “Where’s Jake?”
“Bathroom.” She frowned. “I don’t think the food here agrees with him.”
Noah bit his lip. Jake’s stomach had been shakier the last few days, but it wasn’t like he was eating anything he didn’t eat back home.
“So…” Noah began, right as Angela said, “I just—”
Noah nodded. “You go ahead.”
Angela pulled her hair tie off, stuck it between her teeth, and started regathering her ponytail. It had started to curl without the rigorous straightening routine she used back home. It had bounce to it. It reminded Noah of when they first started dating.
“What’re you smiling at?” she mumbled around the elastic.
“Your hair looks nice.”
Angela rolled her eyes, but her cheeks turned pink. She was in a turquoise sundress today, one that hugged her wide hips and the swell of her stomach just right. She looked…
It took Noah a moment to realize she lookedrelaxed. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d seen her looking relaxed.
“Italy agrees with you.”
He didn’t want it to be true. He wanted her to tell him no, it was just the humidity. Or no, it was just her not having time for her hair.
But instead, she finished tying her hair and smiled.
“You remember what Nonna said, about life being slower? I think I needed that. I’ve been going-going-going for years, and I… I can breathe here.”
Noah’s heart couldn’t decide if it wanted to clench or unclench.
Angela washappyhere. And Noah was glad for that. He alwayswanted her to be happy, and he’d always be a little sad he couldn’t make her happy himself.
But he wished she hated it here. He wished she was rethinking everything.
He wished they didn’t even have to have these conversations.
“Anyway.” She took a deep breath. “I was going to say… you’re a grown man. You can make your own choices about who you see and who you sleep with, and I don’t get a say in that anymore. I’m sorry if I came across like I don’t approve or don’t want you to be happy or… whatever’s going on.”
“Thank you.”
“That said, I really don’t think this is the right time for either of us to be embarking on anything new, relationship-wise, not until we get things more sorted out. We’re already asking Jake to accept a lot of change. I don’t know if we should be adding to it.”
Noah swallowed what he wanted to say:You get to change, but I don’t. You get to reinvent yourself, but I don’t.
That wasn’t fair, though. This wasn’t about him. This was about Jake. About what was best for him.
At the end of the day, Noah’s feelings didn’t matter.
Angela took his hand. She hadn’t done that in such a long time. Her hands were practically strangers. He used to know them as well as his own.
“Listen. Iamhappy that he makes you happy. He does make you happy, right?”
